By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Bi-folding gates have been installed in Gloucester to replace the bollards which stop traffic travelling down Eastgate Street at night over the weekends.
Butlers Bar owner Justin Hudson thanked Gloucester City Council for helping make the public safety scheme a reality.
The black gates, which include the city’s coat of arms, will be used instead of the bollards which enforce the traffic road closure near GL1 from 10.30pm to 5am every Friday and Saturday and on bank holiday Sundays.
And Mr Hudson, a former sheriff and deputy mayor of Gloucester, said the gates “set the scene perfectly and show a real unified professionalism”.
He said: “Knowing the bollards in the road were coming to the end of their commercial life, we have as a collective, been ‘bidding’ for and working together to create a pot of money to replace those aging bollards.
“These were tens of thousands of pounds cheaper than bollards being drilled into the road.
“And let’s be honest, Gloucester as a city is famous for its gates.”
He said the gates work like “two massive sets of bi-fold doors”.
“These are exactly the same, set on massive pillars.
“We fold the fence part of the gates into one another and wind down levelling feet so they sit in place and secure when ‘closed’ for the night time Friday and Saturday night closure.
“When we re-open the road, the feet are wound up, and one side at a time, these massive gates are folded into one another and locked ’open’ for the week.
“The icing on the cake is the four sets of Gloucester coat of arms which really set the scene, making the gates have that real, professional presence.”
He said neither the police nor council operate the road closure. Butlers took over the responsibility of closing the road more than six years ago, he said.
“Working on behalf of the police, the council, and the city, we took over the road closure years ago and have carried it out ever since.”
Community engagement cabinet member Rebecca Trimnell (LD, Westgate) congratulated Justin Hudson on the new gates.
She said the gates were aesthetically pleasing and provide valuable safety for all those who enjoy a night out in the city centre.
“A big thank you to everyone who is a part of the night time economy of Gloucester in making the gates happen for Eastgate Street,” she said.
“I know it has been in the planning for quite a while and therefore it was fantastic to see the gates finally installed last week.
“I think aesthetically they are very pleasing and also provide valuable safety for all those enjoying the venues on a night out in the city centre.”
Gates are also expected to be installed at the Clarence Street end of Eastgate Street in the near future.